Wedding planners: one timeline every vendor works from

The wedding day timeline usually exists in five versions: the planner's, the photographer's, the DJ's, the venue's and the one the couple printed in June. On the day, the vendors work from whichever one they opened last.

TL;DR: Keep one timeline, owned by the planner, with a name against every responsibility. Build it from each vendor's own times (hair and makeup's start, the florist's install, lighting's load-in, the DJ's cues), share it as one link that always shows the latest version, and freeze it a week out except for changes you announce.

Why does the timeline fail on the day?

Not because it was wrong, but because it changed and somebody did not hear. The ceremony moved fifteen minutes, the planner updated her copy, and the hair and makeup team still started from the old ready-by. Every version of a schedule that is not the one schedule is a chance for a vendor to be in the wrong place.

What does each vendor need from it?

Different things from the same day:

• Hair and makeup need the ready-by time, which is the first look or the ceremony.
• The florist needs the install window and the strike time.
• Lighting and AV need load-in, sound check and load-out, plus the cue moments.
• The photographer and videographer need the first look, family photos, golden hour and the exit.
• The DJ or band needs the entrance, every announcement, the dances and the last song.
• The venue needs all of the above, plus the caterer's service times.

A timeline that serves all of them has a name against every line.

Who owns it?

The planner, and only the planner. Vendors send their times; the planner puts them in. A shared document every vendor can edit sounds collaborative and becomes a schedule nobody trusts.

How should it be shared?

As one link that always shows the latest version, readable on a phone, without an account. A PDF attached to an email is out of date the moment anything changes; a link is never out of date.

When should it be frozen?

A week before the wedding, give or take. After that, change it only when you have to, and when you do, tell the vendors affected directly. A vendor will reread a schedule they were told has changed; they will not reread one they think is final.

How Booksui handles this

Booksui's planner pipeline runs from discovery and proposal through vendor contracting, final details, event week and event day. The run-of-show is built on the job, minute by minute, with a name against every responsibility, and shared as one read-only link the couple and every vendor work from. Vendors attach to the job with their contacts and contracts, so the person to call about each line is one tap away. More on the page for wedding planners; plans and limits are on the pricing page.